Auditions are on Saturday, September 24th Levels 5-7 9:00am-10:00 am (If you are auditioning for a part on pointe, please wear your pointe shoes to this audition) Levels 3- 4 10:00am-11:00am Age 5- Level 2 11:00am- 11:45am Please arrive at least ten minutes early to fill out paperwork and get an audition number. The Audition Fee is $25, payable by cash, or check made out to Ballet Misha. Performance fees are due by October 14th (payable by cash or check made out to Ballet Misha) Performance Fee for Ages 5-11 is $150. Performance Fee for Ages 12-Adult is $180. Ballet Misha is the non-profit performing company associated with Dimensions in Dance. Auditions are open to Dimensions in Dance students ages 5 through adult. Performances are December 17th-18th at the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College. Dress rehearsal will be Friday, December 16th. Rehearsals will be on Friday afternoon/evenings between 4:00pm-8:30pm, and on Saturdays between 10:00am-3:00pm. Rehearsals for almost all parts will begin October 14th-16th. Rehearsals for some parts for dancers in Primary and Level 1 will not start until Oct. 21st-22nd. You can expect approximately an hour of rehearsal per week, per role. This can be a bit longer if your dancer is in a large scene like Battle scene or Party scene. You can request your dancer only have one role if you wish to keep the commitment to a minimum. More info about participating in the Nutcracker Do I need to take Ballet to be in the Nutcracker? All dancers in The Nutcracker must be enrolled in at least one class at Dimensions in Dance from October through December in order to participate; this can be a class in any discipline for children under 8. All dancers aged 8+ must be enrolled in a ballet class. We want to produce the most professional performance possible, and as such, we need dancers with ballet training. Does it cost money to be in The Nutcracker? Putting on a production of this magnitude is a lot of work and is very expensive. Ticket sales alone do not cover the cost of putting on this production. We ask that all dancers pay a performance fee for the extra training and performance opportunity they get as a participant in this production. The performance fee helps cover the cost of making, altering, and maintaining costumes and sets. The performance fee for dancers age 5-11 is $150, and for dancers 12-Adult is $180. We realize this may be financially difficult for some families, so please email the studio asking to set up a time to talk with Amy if paying the performance fee is a hardship. When will the rehearsals be and can I miss rehearsals? Rehearsals will be scheduled on Fridays between the hours of 4:00pm and 8:30pm and on Saturdays between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm. Rehearsals will begin in October. It is normal to rehearse an hour a week per role. Attending the first few weeks of rehearsals is imperative so that we do not have to teach the choreography multiple times. If a dancer cannot be at a rehearsal in October, they should speak with Amy to see if they can still audition. Please understand that we do our best to be consistent in scheduling, but rehearsing a cast of over 100 dancers is a challenge and rehearsal times, days, and lengths can vary week to week. Am I guaranteed to get a role if I audition, and how many roles will I get? The Nutcracker is a large production with dozens of parts, and we anticipate being able to give all who audition a part in the production. Please remember that it is normal to repeat the same parts for several years, and that because the costumes are already made, not custom ordered like a recital, sometimes casting comes down to the costume you will fit in. Regardless of the role, every part in The Nutcracker is important, and being a piece of this magical production gives everyone a real sense of community and inclusion. We cast by ability, but size is a huge factor, so please do not come to the audition expecting certain parts. Also, if a dancer takes pointe, that in no way guarantees they will receive a part on pointe. Pointe parts are for the strongest candidates each year. There are only 12 Snowflakes, only 5 Marzipan etc, so the strongest dancers will get those parts.
